The present invention concerns a supporting and fastening arrangement for contact wires. Arrangements of that kind are generally known for example as outrigger or cantilever arm systems for catenary or contact lines, for example in short-range or local public passenger transport.
The wide range of possible uses of cantilever arm systems for overhead contact wires and the large number of different specific requirements, systems and area of use however mean that usually there is a need for a large variety of types of individual components, corresponding to a respective purpose of use, and that requires the production and stockkeeping of a large variety of types, in particular on the part of manufacturers with a wide range of products to offer. That then means that systems which are specifically put togetherxe2x80x94in spite of the high total number of components involvedxe2x80x94are necessarily complicated and thus expensive.
Numerous alternative configurations of supporting and fastening arrangements for contact wires are also known from the state of the art, which, by virtue of the mechanical aspects involved, often require really expensive connections, in particular also screw connections, and which therefore give rise to corresponding expenditure in terms of installation, assembly and maintenance.
In the light of that basic position therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a supporting and fastening arrangement for contact wires, in particular in the form of a cantilever arm system, which on the basis of structurally simple components which can be used in a flexible and variable fashion, permits use in the most widely varying alternative forms, and which moreover in regard to the necessary mechanical coupling or connecting properties, can be easily assembled and is nonetheless strong.
That object is attained by the supporting and fastening arrangement having the features of claim 1 and the apparatus as set forth in claim 12.
The support portion according to the invention and the coupling element co-operating therewith, as the core elements of this supporting and fastening arrangement according to the invention, to attain the object thereof, permit virtually any use of the arrangement, in which respect the support portion can itself be universally secured or fastened, and in addition is also suitable for easily receiving at least one counterpart coupling component, in positively locking and non-rotational relationship, while there is the particular advantage that the plug connection, just by virtue of a tensile or pressure loading acting thereon, already permits secure mechanical coupling.
Independent protection in accordance with the present invention is also claimed for a coupling element which is admittedly particularly advantageously suitable for use in the supporting and fastening arrangement, but which, separately therefrom, is also suitable in isolation for independent fastening to a mast or pylon or pipe. More specifically, in a surprisingly simple and structurally elegant fashion, the recess which is provided at the rear side and which is preferably in the form of an obtuse V-shape provides that the coupling element which is produced in one piece can be fitted to cylindrical supports of virtually any diameter for fixing purposes, wherein the fastening portions mounted thereto then serve in a particularly simple manner as rests for suitable fastening means, in particular in the form of strips, bands or the like.
Advantageous developments of the invention are described in the appendant claims.
Thus, it is particularly preferable for the elongate support portion to be in the form of a double-T-profile portion and to be provided with at least one additional slot, wherein in a particularly suitable configuration the first opening and a slot of that kind are designed for directly non-rotationally receiving fork and/or bar elementsxe2x80x94which in that respect are to be viewed as coupling elements in accordance with the main claim. In this context both the bar portion of the bar element and also a fork portion of the fork element is to be viewed as a projection in accordance with the main claim.
It is also particularly preferable for the coupling element to be in the form of a receiving holder for introducing or holding the support element, in which case then the receiving holder in particular affords the possibility of providing a pivotal connection.
The fork and/or bar elements which can be used in accordance with the present invention enhance the universality of use of the supporting and fixing arrangement according to the invention; thus, they not only permit connection to each otherxe2x80x94that is to say a bar element engages into a fork elementxe2x80x94but in addition a respective pipe end, insulator or the like can be respectively coupled by way of those coupling elements.
It is particularly preferred for a plurality of coupling elements to be simultaneously fastened to a support portion.
All in all therefore what is provided is an arrangement which combines simple assemblabilityxe2x80x94in particular no screw connections or the like whatsoever are required for a connection with the central openingxe2x80x94with a high level of mechanical strength and maximum flexibility for constructing virtually any cantilever arm systems.